Cooling unit for rabbit hutches



Dec. 8, 1953 A. A. RUPORT COOLING UNIT FOR RABBIT HUTCHES Filed Aug. 15,1951 fllvz'n H. Ruparjf ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 8, 1953 COOLING UNITFORRABBIT HUTCHES Alvin A. Ruport, Citrus Heights, Calif., assignor ofone-half to Earl W. Kreisel, Citrus Heights,

Calif.

Application August 15, 1951, Serial N 0. 241,951

1 Claim.

This invention is directed to an improvement in rabbit hutches; the samebeing employed to confine rabbits above the ground for best care andbreeding purposes.

When the weather is hot, rabbits-especially doesin hutches suffer fromthe heat and frequently illness or death may occur.

It is therefore the major object of this invention to provide eachrabbit hutch with a novel cooling unit which permits the rabbit toobtain relief from hot weather.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cooling unit, for arabbit hutch, as in the preceding paragraph, which comprisesahorizontally disposed tubular coil supported on the screen floor of thehutch; cool water flowing through the coil thus formin areduced-temperature pallet or bed for the rabbit.

A further object of the invention is to arrange the coil in connectionwith the screen floor of the hutch in a novel manner which preventsdisplacement of the coil.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a cooling unit forrabbit hutches which is designed for ease and economy of manufacture,and convenience of installation.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a practical andreliable cooling unit for rabbit hutches, and one which will beexceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relativearrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the followingspecification and claim.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a sectional plan view of a multiple hutch structure whereineach hutch is provided with a cooling unit.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional elevation on line 2-2 ofFig. 1.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on thedrawings, the numeral I indicates a multiple hutch structure generally.which structure includes a number of hutches 2 in side by side relation.

Each hutch 2 includes, on a frame 3, a screen floor 4 and screen walls5; the hutch being supported some distance above ground by legs 6.

In this type of above-ground hutch, rabbitsespecially does-are subjectto suffering, if not illness and death, when the weather is hot, unlessan adequate means is provided to protect them.

To this end the present invention provides, in

each hutch 2, a reduced-temperature bed or pallet in the form of ahorizontal coil 1 seated on the screen floor 4 generally in the centralarea thereof.

Each coil 1 is formed from relatively smalldiameter, metallic tubing,with the separate loops 8 disposed in spaced but relatively closerelation.

The opposite ends of each coil I are formed as down-turned tips 9 whichproject through the mesh of the screen floor 4, terminating therebelow;such arrangement of the tips 9 effectively preventing lateraldisplacement of the coil 1 on said screen floor 4.

The coils 1 in the respective hutches 2 are connected in series by pipesHi; the related ends of said pipes being coupled to the down-turned tips9 below the screen floors 4 by fittings II.

The series-connected pipes l0 and coils 1 have a constant flow of coolwater therethrough supplied by a water hose l2 coupled to the free endof one of the outermost pipes Ill. The water after passing through suchsystem discharges from the free end of the other outermost pipe 10, asat I3.

With cool water, or other liquid coolant, flowing through the coils 1,the same provide-in each hutch 2-a reduced-temperature bed. or pallet,and the rabbits, as at H, seek such bed and rest upon the same. As aconsequence each rabbit, as it rests upon the coils 1, is relieved andmaintained sufliciently cool to prevent panting, illness, or death fromheat.

The coils 1 are each of elongated or oval form in plan, which provides abed or pallet upon which a rabbit may rest full length; the loops 8 ofeach coil being relatively close together in order to provide anadequate supporting surface for the rabbit.

Although the cooling units are here shown as being used in screen-floorhutches, they may also be installed in wood-floor hutches, since it isonly necessary to drill two holes in each floor for the depending intakeand outlet coil terminals 9.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that there hasbeen produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of theinvention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferredconstruction of the device, still in practice such deviations therefrommay be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of theinvention, as defined by the appended claim.

Having thus described the invention, the following is claimed as new anduseful, and upon which Letters Patent are desired:

A rabbit cooling device for the floor of a rabbit hutch comprising anexposed horizontal rigid tubular coil formed with a plurality of turns,the coil being supported directly on the floor and of suficient overallarea. to support a seated rabbit, and means to flow a cooling mediumthrough the coil from below the floor; the turns of the coil being onsubstantially a common level so as to flatly rest on the floor and toform a 4 flat seat for the rabbit and said turns being relatively closetogether.

ALVIN A. RUPORT.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 894,114 Carlberger July 21, 1908 1,148,394 Marvin July 27,1915 1,292,365 Ostrander Jan. 21, 1919 2,268,885 McCullough Jan. 6, 1942

